Yankee
TruthHurts
princess
Plank SinatraAnother weekend meant another completed mission for Team CODE.
And for Oswald, it meant more time in the Armory, cleaning his sword and making sure his teammates didn’t see the hurt radiating off of him. It seemed every mission meant the same thing: more death, more pain. The shadowy tendrils had become commonplace for the young man, appearing even in classes whenever Oswald felt stressed. At the moment, they were relatively passive, forming a thin translucent layer over his body almost like scales. To those who knew Oswald well, this was a sign of pain, melancholy, or some other vulnerability.
Another weekend also meant that Sapphire would be coming through the door any second now.
“How did your mission go this time?” A sigh.
“As well as they always do, Sapphire. As well as they always do.”
“Not too many casualties this time, but this job hasn’t changed much since we got here.” Standing from the desk he was sitting at and turning to his girlfriend, Oswald’s haggard face came into her view. He’d aged about as well as could be expected for a Beacon senior, with only a few small scars having been added to his body in the past three years. His eyes were only a little brighter than they had been on the day they met, the day the two had first sparred. As the light behind them grew, the thin film of visible Aura around Oswald dissipated.
“Still, it’s better than doing nothing.” And that was the reason he always came back. The reason he hadn’t left after seeing or learning of the deaths of at least a few hundred at the hands of the Grimm since he’d arrived.
That, and the girl in front of him.
“I missed you.” Stepping forward into a tight hug, Oswald gingerly rubbed his chin against Sapphire’s head, eliciting a small smile from the azure-haired warrior.
“I missed you too, but you stink. Did you even shower before you came here?” Grimacing as she lightly pushed Oswald towards the desk and scrunched her face in mock disgust, Sapphire let out a small chuckle.
“You know I never do. I can afford to smell for another hour. My gear can’t afford to sit around with sweat and blood on it.” That this blood was not always his own went unspoken. “Still, I’m almost done. I’ll head back and take a shower soon, don’t worry.” Giving a half-smile and a small turn of the head, Oswald kissed his beloved girlfriend once on the lips before sitting back down.
“I’ll meet you at the usual spot?” Turning on her heel, Sapphire’s face lingered on the back of Oswald’s head for just a moment, waiting for a reply.
“Of course.”
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“So, Sapphire, are you ready for the dance next week?” Oswald’s question was met with a playful groan. The two were seated under a large tree in one of Beacon’s greener areas, Sapphire calmly laying in Oswald’s lap, her face pointed to the sky.
“How you convinced me to go with you all these years, I will never know.” This playful mockery earned the girl a gentle swat on the arm and a chuckle.
“It was clearly my roguishly good looks and charming personality.” Laughing at his own joke, Oswald sighed in bliss. “Hard to believe we’re graduating in a month…it feels like it’s been so long, and yet such a short time.” Oswald looked down at Sapphire, brown eyes meeting green, and smiled warmly.
Taking a gloved hand in his own, Oswald ran his calloused fingers over the girl’s palms, sending a jolt of electricity through his body.
“It’s also hard to believe that I let myself fall for an idiot like you.” Pushing herself to a sitting position and wrapping an arm around Oswald, Sapphire exhaled softly. “But I guess it could be worse.”
“Yeah, you could have fallen for Shiro, or even Cobalt.” As the two shared a laugh at the expense of their teammates, Oswald tried to still the churning in his chest. “One more week…I can’t wait to see what you come up with this time.” It was no secret that Sapphire’s outfits for the last few dances had been truly beautiful, if a bit simple. Oswald, on the other hand, stuck with the classics: suit and tie with a nice pair of trousers.
“I’m sure you’ll look as beautiful as you’ve ever been and make me fall a little more in love with you, just like you do every day.” Not even trying to hide his blush, Oswald pulled Sapphire into a tight hug, closing his eyes and shutting out the rest of the world.
When he was with her, the pain went away. The blood washed off, and the nightmares were bearable. The ghosts of his past seemed to fear her presence, and he could let go of his guilt, if only for a minute.
Soon enough, the embrace broke, and Oswald’s heart grew heavier in the absence of his beloved girlfriend’s warmth. Still, he gave her another smile and a quick kiss before relaxing his head against the tree once more, his face growing pensive.
“Wonder what it’s gonna be like out there. Ya know, after we graduate? I’m sure it’ll only get harder, but we won’t have to work with our teams anymore.” Both of them knew he meant the opposite: that they would be without their teams, without backup, more often than not.
“You’re not usually this…introspective, Oz. What’s wrong?” Sitting up, Sapphire sent a concerned glance Oswald’s way. “You’re not going back home for a while, right?” Unwilling to let his plans be discovered, Oswald nodded.
Standing up, Oswald looked around and sighed. “Yeah, but I’m still gonna be going around the world, ya know? Seeing places, fighting Grimm…I’m not above admitting that I’m a bit worried. Before I came to Beacon, it was mostly Ursae and Beowulves, maybe some Itzamna and the occasional Redcap or Griever. Now? I’ve fought Datura, unnamed, unclassified Grimm, Death Stalkers, Tutankhamen, Ogdoad, you name it! But it’s not me I’m worried about.”
Turning to Sapphire, he made a sad smile and cocked his head. “It’s you, us. It was never really a big deal, the plans I had. Travel, fight, see the world, do some good, then go home and settle down.” As he finished that last sentence, his smile grew before quickly fading. “But now we’re…a thing, and I put off those plans until now. And now I have no idea what I should do. What we should do.”
Sitting down against the tree, Oswald sighed as Sapphire draped an arm around his waist. “Oswald, calm down. I’m not sure what we should do either, but we’ll figure it out. We always have, haven’t we? With your…problem-“
“You mean my total psychotic break?” Chuckling at the memory of his psychological breakdown from their first year as a result of continuously bloody missions, Oswald gave his girlfriend a cheeky smile.
“Shut up a minute and listen. Between your issues with this line of work, my…friendliness issues with my team, and everything else, we’ve always figured these things out. We’ll do it this time, too.” At this, Oswald’s smile grew even larger.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, you smart person, you.” Earning yet another playful strike for his banter, Oswald rested his head against Sapphire’s. “We’ll be fine.” And he knew that this was true, especially with Sapphire’s affirmed conviction. Now he just had to wait. It was only one more week.
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Knock. Knock. Knock. Three knocks, as always. Taking a small step back from Team SASG’s door, Oswald inhaled slowly. This was it, the night of their last Beacon Dance.
What a night it would be, should everything go according to plan. Diamond and Emerald had already done some scouting, and found what they needed. As long as all the pieces were in place, it would all go off without a hitch.
That is, if Sapphire didn’t throw a wrench into the works and ruin weeks of planning, thousands of Lien in spending, and months of soul-searching. Whatever happened was up to her, Oswald just wanted to make this night more memorable than any other.
Nervously watching the door, Oswald’s smile grew when he noticed the knob turning. After a moment, out came Sapphire, wearing an outfit that made his jaw drop a bit.
A pleated, emerald green dress adorned the girl’s body, stopping just below her knees. The color matched perfectly with her eyes, leading Oswald to stare into the verdant orbs before feeling his face flush.
“You look beautiful, Sapphire.” Offering as large a smile as he could manage, Oswald offered his hand to his date.
“You look rather handsome, yourself.” A far cry from his formally casual attire, Oswald was all dressed up tonight: tuxedo, vest, bow tie, a nice pair of slacks, as well as expertly-shined shoes, rather than boots.
“Had to make this last one count a little something extra, ya know?” Chuckling, Oswald started to lead the way to the dance.
After what had to have been two or three hours of dancing, talking and eating with their friends, Oswald and Sapphire retired to one of the tables for a rest, the former breathing somewhat heavily. “Extended combat I can handle. Rucksack runs, I can handle. But ballroom dancing for three hours? I can’t handle that shit.”
Giggling at her boyfriend, Sapphire gave him a quick pat on the back. “You’re an excellent dancer, if that means anything.” Oswald could only groan.
“Noooooo, that means you’re going to want to do this more often. Sitting up and dropping a hand into his pocket, Oswald’s heart started thundering.
I forgot. Holy shit, I forgot. How could I forget?! Diamond and Emerald have probably been waiting for my signal for the past hour! Looking around as discreetly as possible, Oswald tried to steady his breathing.
“Hey, Sapph, I have to go make a quick call. I’ll be right back, promise.” Already out of his seat as he started speaking, Oswald was gone before Sapphire could even reply.
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh FUCK! Oswald ran down the hallway, his Scroll ringing Diamond’s as he made his way to a small alcove. “Diamond?”
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU MONGTARD?! WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR LIKE AN HOUR FOR YOU TO CALL, EVERYTHING’S READY!” Oswald had to pull the Scroll a few inches from his ear, Diamond’s shout was so loud.
“Calm the hell down, Diamond! We were actually enjoying our night, big fuckin’ surprise there!” Shaking his head and letting out a sigh, Oswald continued. “Forget it, we’re ready now. I’m gonna grab her and head up. You two will hear us, just wait for my line”
“Alright, lover boy, it’s your funeral.” As the connection cut off, Oswald took a deep breath to collect himself.
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
Holy shit, I’m actually fucking DOING THIS!
As the couple slowly ascended the staircase to the second floor, near the balcony, Oswald gave back a quick reassuring smile. As they stepped out into the open air, Oswald rested his body against the railing and sighed, prompting Sapphire to lay a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you sure everything’s alright, Oz? You seem really nervous.” Oh no, not now. They were right there. Right there!
“Uh, yeah. Everything…everything is fine, just…uhhhh….” He was blanking. How was he blanking? There was a script, stick to the script, dammit!
The look on Sapphire’s face told Oswald that she wasn’t buying it. “What’s wrong?”
“I, uh, it’s nothing, I just…well, it’s something, but it’s not bad! I just…uhhhh…” His face red and his tongue twisting on itself, Oswald took a deep breath and let the façade shatter, turning to his girlfriend with a nervous, somber look.
“I wanted to talk about us, about…our future together.” That was it, there was no going back. In about ten seconds, everything would be in place.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and…I…I feel like I need to do this. For myself.” The look on Sapphire’s face was not what he was expecting. Rather than patience and a bit of confusion, she looked…upset. Maybe even a bit angry.
“I did a lot of soul-searching, and I decided that I need to do this.” Taking a deep breath, Oswald smiled as he let go of his worries and dropped to a knee, pulling a long, slender box from his tuxedo pocket.
As her eyes widened in shock, Sapphire’s face went through a few different emotions, but Oswald was too nervous to tell. Inside the box was a sapphire necklace, held by a platinum chain.
Behind him, a small banner lowered from the roof above them, spelling out “WILL YOU MARRY ME?”
“It, took a lot of looking to find someone willing to custom make a piece like this, but I think it came out perfectly. If you look real closely, you can see, right there, carved into the sapphire…it’s your emblem.” Indeed, as she held took the necklace and inspected it, carved into the sapphire, likely by a laser, was Sapphire’s emblem.
“That’s not all, actually. Turn the pendant around.” On the reverse side, carved into the platinum, was a simplistic rendition of Oswald’s emblem, along with “Love, Oz” written under it.
“So, Sapphire…will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” He was standing now, a few steps closer than when he’d first asked the question, watching Sapphire carefully.
As tears welled up in her eyes, Sapphire nodded quickly. “Yes…yes, I’ll marry you! Of course I’ll marry you!” That was all it took to make Oswald close the distance between them, taking the necklace into his hands and deftly placing it around her neck, closing the loop after a moment of fumbling.
“Thank you, Sapphire…” As the two embraced, Oswald took a moment of solace, content in the knowledge that things would probably be alright for the two, from here on out.
And for Oswald, it meant more time in the Armory, cleaning his sword and making sure his teammates didn’t see the hurt radiating off of him. It seemed every mission meant the same thing: more death, more pain. The shadowy tendrils had become commonplace for the young man, appearing even in classes whenever Oswald felt stressed. At the moment, they were relatively passive, forming a thin translucent layer over his body almost like scales. To those who knew Oswald well, this was a sign of pain, melancholy, or some other vulnerability.
Another weekend also meant that Sapphire would be coming through the door any second now.
“How did your mission go this time?” A sigh.
“As well as they always do, Sapphire. As well as they always do.”
“Not too many casualties this time, but this job hasn’t changed much since we got here.” Standing from the desk he was sitting at and turning to his girlfriend, Oswald’s haggard face came into her view. He’d aged about as well as could be expected for a Beacon senior, with only a few small scars having been added to his body in the past three years. His eyes were only a little brighter than they had been on the day they met, the day the two had first sparred. As the light behind them grew, the thin film of visible Aura around Oswald dissipated.
“Still, it’s better than doing nothing.” And that was the reason he always came back. The reason he hadn’t left after seeing or learning of the deaths of at least a few hundred at the hands of the Grimm since he’d arrived.
That, and the girl in front of him.
“I missed you.” Stepping forward into a tight hug, Oswald gingerly rubbed his chin against Sapphire’s head, eliciting a small smile from the azure-haired warrior.
“I missed you too, but you stink. Did you even shower before you came here?” Grimacing as she lightly pushed Oswald towards the desk and scrunched her face in mock disgust, Sapphire let out a small chuckle.
“You know I never do. I can afford to smell for another hour. My gear can’t afford to sit around with sweat and blood on it.” That this blood was not always his own went unspoken. “Still, I’m almost done. I’ll head back and take a shower soon, don’t worry.” Giving a half-smile and a small turn of the head, Oswald kissed his beloved girlfriend once on the lips before sitting back down.
“I’ll meet you at the usual spot?” Turning on her heel, Sapphire’s face lingered on the back of Oswald’s head for just a moment, waiting for a reply.
“Of course.”
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“So, Sapphire, are you ready for the dance next week?” Oswald’s question was met with a playful groan. The two were seated under a large tree in one of Beacon’s greener areas, Sapphire calmly laying in Oswald’s lap, her face pointed to the sky.
“How you convinced me to go with you all these years, I will never know.” This playful mockery earned the girl a gentle swat on the arm and a chuckle.
“It was clearly my roguishly good looks and charming personality.” Laughing at his own joke, Oswald sighed in bliss. “Hard to believe we’re graduating in a month…it feels like it’s been so long, and yet such a short time.” Oswald looked down at Sapphire, brown eyes meeting green, and smiled warmly.
Taking a gloved hand in his own, Oswald ran his calloused fingers over the girl’s palms, sending a jolt of electricity through his body.
“It’s also hard to believe that I let myself fall for an idiot like you.” Pushing herself to a sitting position and wrapping an arm around Oswald, Sapphire exhaled softly. “But I guess it could be worse.”
“Yeah, you could have fallen for Shiro, or even Cobalt.” As the two shared a laugh at the expense of their teammates, Oswald tried to still the churning in his chest. “One more week…I can’t wait to see what you come up with this time.” It was no secret that Sapphire’s outfits for the last few dances had been truly beautiful, if a bit simple. Oswald, on the other hand, stuck with the classics: suit and tie with a nice pair of trousers.
“I’m sure you’ll look as beautiful as you’ve ever been and make me fall a little more in love with you, just like you do every day.” Not even trying to hide his blush, Oswald pulled Sapphire into a tight hug, closing his eyes and shutting out the rest of the world.
When he was with her, the pain went away. The blood washed off, and the nightmares were bearable. The ghosts of his past seemed to fear her presence, and he could let go of his guilt, if only for a minute.
Soon enough, the embrace broke, and Oswald’s heart grew heavier in the absence of his beloved girlfriend’s warmth. Still, he gave her another smile and a quick kiss before relaxing his head against the tree once more, his face growing pensive.
“Wonder what it’s gonna be like out there. Ya know, after we graduate? I’m sure it’ll only get harder, but we won’t have to work with our teams anymore.” Both of them knew he meant the opposite: that they would be without their teams, without backup, more often than not.
“You’re not usually this…introspective, Oz. What’s wrong?” Sitting up, Sapphire sent a concerned glance Oswald’s way. “You’re not going back home for a while, right?” Unwilling to let his plans be discovered, Oswald nodded.
Standing up, Oswald looked around and sighed. “Yeah, but I’m still gonna be going around the world, ya know? Seeing places, fighting Grimm…I’m not above admitting that I’m a bit worried. Before I came to Beacon, it was mostly Ursae and Beowulves, maybe some Itzamna and the occasional Redcap or Griever. Now? I’ve fought Datura, unnamed, unclassified Grimm, Death Stalkers, Tutankhamen, Ogdoad, you name it! But it’s not me I’m worried about.”
Turning to Sapphire, he made a sad smile and cocked his head. “It’s you, us. It was never really a big deal, the plans I had. Travel, fight, see the world, do some good, then go home and settle down.” As he finished that last sentence, his smile grew before quickly fading. “But now we’re…a thing, and I put off those plans until now. And now I have no idea what I should do. What we should do.”
Sitting down against the tree, Oswald sighed as Sapphire draped an arm around his waist. “Oswald, calm down. I’m not sure what we should do either, but we’ll figure it out. We always have, haven’t we? With your…problem-“
“You mean my total psychotic break?” Chuckling at the memory of his psychological breakdown from their first year as a result of continuously bloody missions, Oswald gave his girlfriend a cheeky smile.
“Shut up a minute and listen. Between your issues with this line of work, my…friendliness issues with my team, and everything else, we’ve always figured these things out. We’ll do it this time, too.” At this, Oswald’s smile grew even larger.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, you smart person, you.” Earning yet another playful strike for his banter, Oswald rested his head against Sapphire’s. “We’ll be fine.” And he knew that this was true, especially with Sapphire’s affirmed conviction. Now he just had to wait. It was only one more week.
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Knock. Knock. Knock. Three knocks, as always. Taking a small step back from Team SASG’s door, Oswald inhaled slowly. This was it, the night of their last Beacon Dance.
What a night it would be, should everything go according to plan. Diamond and Emerald had already done some scouting, and found what they needed. As long as all the pieces were in place, it would all go off without a hitch.
That is, if Sapphire didn’t throw a wrench into the works and ruin weeks of planning, thousands of Lien in spending, and months of soul-searching. Whatever happened was up to her, Oswald just wanted to make this night more memorable than any other.
Nervously watching the door, Oswald’s smile grew when he noticed the knob turning. After a moment, out came Sapphire, wearing an outfit that made his jaw drop a bit.
A pleated, emerald green dress adorned the girl’s body, stopping just below her knees. The color matched perfectly with her eyes, leading Oswald to stare into the verdant orbs before feeling his face flush.
“You look beautiful, Sapphire.” Offering as large a smile as he could manage, Oswald offered his hand to his date.
“You look rather handsome, yourself.” A far cry from his formally casual attire, Oswald was all dressed up tonight: tuxedo, vest, bow tie, a nice pair of slacks, as well as expertly-shined shoes, rather than boots.
“Had to make this last one count a little something extra, ya know?” Chuckling, Oswald started to lead the way to the dance.
After what had to have been two or three hours of dancing, talking and eating with their friends, Oswald and Sapphire retired to one of the tables for a rest, the former breathing somewhat heavily. “Extended combat I can handle. Rucksack runs, I can handle. But ballroom dancing for three hours? I can’t handle that shit.”
Giggling at her boyfriend, Sapphire gave him a quick pat on the back. “You’re an excellent dancer, if that means anything.” Oswald could only groan.
“Noooooo, that means you’re going to want to do this more often. Sitting up and dropping a hand into his pocket, Oswald’s heart started thundering.
I forgot. Holy shit, I forgot. How could I forget?! Diamond and Emerald have probably been waiting for my signal for the past hour! Looking around as discreetly as possible, Oswald tried to steady his breathing.
“Hey, Sapph, I have to go make a quick call. I’ll be right back, promise.” Already out of his seat as he started speaking, Oswald was gone before Sapphire could even reply.
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh FUCK! Oswald ran down the hallway, his Scroll ringing Diamond’s as he made his way to a small alcove. “Diamond?”
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU MONGTARD?! WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR LIKE AN HOUR FOR YOU TO CALL, EVERYTHING’S READY!” Oswald had to pull the Scroll a few inches from his ear, Diamond’s shout was so loud.
“Calm the hell down, Diamond! We were actually enjoying our night, big fuckin’ surprise there!” Shaking his head and letting out a sigh, Oswald continued. “Forget it, we’re ready now. I’m gonna grab her and head up. You two will hear us, just wait for my line”
“Alright, lover boy, it’s your funeral.” As the connection cut off, Oswald took a deep breath to collect himself.
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
Holy shit, I’m actually fucking DOING THIS!
As the couple slowly ascended the staircase to the second floor, near the balcony, Oswald gave back a quick reassuring smile. As they stepped out into the open air, Oswald rested his body against the railing and sighed, prompting Sapphire to lay a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you sure everything’s alright, Oz? You seem really nervous.” Oh no, not now. They were right there. Right there!
“Uh, yeah. Everything…everything is fine, just…uhhhh….” He was blanking. How was he blanking? There was a script, stick to the script, dammit!
The look on Sapphire’s face told Oswald that she wasn’t buying it. “What’s wrong?”
“I, uh, it’s nothing, I just…well, it’s something, but it’s not bad! I just…uhhhh…” His face red and his tongue twisting on itself, Oswald took a deep breath and let the façade shatter, turning to his girlfriend with a nervous, somber look.
“I wanted to talk about us, about…our future together.” That was it, there was no going back. In about ten seconds, everything would be in place.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and…I…I feel like I need to do this. For myself.” The look on Sapphire’s face was not what he was expecting. Rather than patience and a bit of confusion, she looked…upset. Maybe even a bit angry.
“I did a lot of soul-searching, and I decided that I need to do this.” Taking a deep breath, Oswald smiled as he let go of his worries and dropped to a knee, pulling a long, slender box from his tuxedo pocket.
As her eyes widened in shock, Sapphire’s face went through a few different emotions, but Oswald was too nervous to tell. Inside the box was a sapphire necklace, held by a platinum chain.
Behind him, a small banner lowered from the roof above them, spelling out “WILL YOU MARRY ME?”
“It, took a lot of looking to find someone willing to custom make a piece like this, but I think it came out perfectly. If you look real closely, you can see, right there, carved into the sapphire…it’s your emblem.” Indeed, as she held took the necklace and inspected it, carved into the sapphire, likely by a laser, was Sapphire’s emblem.
“That’s not all, actually. Turn the pendant around.” On the reverse side, carved into the platinum, was a simplistic rendition of Oswald’s emblem, along with “Love, Oz” written under it.
“So, Sapphire…will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” He was standing now, a few steps closer than when he’d first asked the question, watching Sapphire carefully.
As tears welled up in her eyes, Sapphire nodded quickly. “Yes…yes, I’ll marry you! Of course I’ll marry you!” That was all it took to make Oswald close the distance between them, taking the necklace into his hands and deftly placing it around her neck, closing the loop after a moment of fumbling.
“Thank you, Sapphire…” As the two embraced, Oswald took a moment of solace, content in the knowledge that things would probably be alright for the two, from here on out.